13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 30th June 2019

FOLLOW JESUS, TOTALLY AND IMMEDIATELY, WITHOUT ANY RESERVATIONS

Today’s readings are about God’s call and man’s commitment in answer to that call. They ask for total commitment in total freedom with the spirit of patient love, saying an unconditional “Yes” to Jesus and to the Christian life as a true disciple of Christ.

The first part of today’s Gospel records Jesus’ teaching on Christian tolerance, given after he had observed the angry response of two of his apostles. James and John were angry and asked if Jesus wanted them to bring down fire from Heaven to destroy the Samaritans who had refused to receive Jesus as a prophet and allow him to travel through their village because Jesus was travelling to Jerusalem. In the second part of today’s Gospel, Luke introduces three potential disciples who offered lame reasons that made Jesus’ call to ministry “impossible” for them to accept, after Jesus had told them plainly what the commitment required, and the cost involved. They were found unfit and unprepared to follow Jesus as his disciples. We too, are asked to follow Jesus, totally and immediately, without any reservations, both by giving priority to him and to his cause and by surrendering our lives to God in humble and dedicated service to others.